Collapse (topology)

In topology, "collapse" generally refers to a process in which a space is transformed into a simpler space by identifying or merging certain points. More formally, it often involves a kind of equivalence relation on a topological space that leads to a new space, typically by collapsing a subspace of points into a single point or by collapsing all points in a certain way. One specific example of collapsing is the creation of a quotient space.